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BJP MLAs seek early end to crisis

Staff Correspondent

Party leader Sanjay Joshi holds closed-door meeting with Ministers and legislators

BHOPAL: Following the high-pitched demand raised by a section of MLAs led by former Chief Minister Uma Bharti for immediate removal of Chief Minister Babulal Gaur, majority of ruling party legislators have now taken the stand that the party should settle the leadership issue once for all and without any delay.

They have opined that protracting the crisis would harm the party's image, severely affect the pace of development in the State and affect BJP's prospects in the next Assembly election.

This was the spirit of what most State Ministers and MLAs conveyed to the organisation general secretary Sanjay Joshi at the BJP office here on Wednesday.

Mr. Joshi held closed-door discussions with party MLAs and senior leaders for over three hours.

Recently, a large number of party MLAs, led by Ms. Bharti, had joined a signature campaign to build pressure on the party leadership to initiate steps to find a successor to the Chief Minister.

A series of meetings and confabulations were held at the residence of Uma Bharti here in this regard.

A couple of State leaders had also visited Delhi and met senior party leaders seeking a leadership change in the State. The party had responded to this demand by stating that the issue would be addressed to after the Bihar Assembly election.

A senior State Minister, who preferred anonymity, told this correspondent that almost every body who met Mr. Joshi was unanimous in asserting that the leadership issue should be settled once for all without any delay.

He further said that in case there is a leadership change, the party should play a role in ensuring that whoever becomes the next Chief Minister is acceptable to all factions within the party.

Another State Minister said "since the leadership issue has been allowed to drag on, the State administration has been badly affected."

He said that the administrative machinery should never be allowed to be in a state of suspended animation, especially when the ruling party has more than two-thirds majority in the State Assembly, he pointed out.

It is learnt that many MLAs told Mr. Joshi that they were embarrassed by the anti-leadership campaign and wanted the issue to be resolved as soon as possible.

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BJP MLAs seek early end to crisis

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